Saturday, December 31, 2011

Which Books From 2011 Would You Take With You to a Deserted Island?

A Saturday with Morzant:

Morzant Poses a Hypothetical Question

to His Friends. Again.

MORZANT: Zulko, humans. No need to review your calendars. I’m indeed addressing you on a Saturday, rather than a Tuesday as I customarily do. I intended to ask my friends, as I did last year, what book released in the concluding year each would choose to take with them to a deserted island. Engrossed as I’ve been in my various experiments, I neglected to prepare this post before now. Given that this is the last day of 2011, I hurriedly assembled my friends.

Last year’s query was designed to enhance my understanding of hypothetical questions. The experiment rapidly dissolved into chaos as my friends insisted on altering the hypothetical question’s parameters. (That experiment is available for review here.) This year my friends have agreed to respect the question’s restrictions.

BIGFOOT: We’re ready, Morzant.

MORZANT: You’ve all signed the agreement, in triplicate?

BEVERLY: Yes. We’ve all signed your stupid papers. Now can we just get this over with? I’d like to get out of here before New Year’s Eve 2012.

MORZANT: Certainly. Each of you state which one book released in 2011 you would choose for your deserted island sequestration. We’ll start with the puppies.

LENNY: WON-TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU and—

MORZANT: Excuse me, Lenny, but there can be no “and.” Just one selection please.

LENNY: But I loved a lot of other books, too.

MORZANT: I understand. However, as per the agreement you signed, you’re to choose only the one book you loved best.

BIGFOOT: Actually, the agreement says we’re each allowed to pick up to twenty-one books.

MORZANT: Nonsense. Is states clearly right here that…. Oh, for the love of milky kitten whiskers! Who penciled in the number twenty?

NORMAN: Why are you looking at me?

MORZANT: Who else would tamper with my experiment?

NORMAN: Good point. But really, it wasn’t me this time.

MORZANT: And what’s this other scribbling? “Furthermore, each cryptid may also select any number of books released in this year from their ‘to-be-read pile’—those books they planned to, but did not have a chance to, read during 2011.” I demand to know who’s responsible for polluting my experiment!

BEVERLY: If it speeds things along, I am.

MORZANT: Have you no respect for science?

BEVERLY: Not particularly.

PENNY: Beverly didn’t do it.

MORZANT: Then who? Penny? Not you?

PENNY: I’m sorry! I respect science, I promise. But I couldn’t pick just one. I mean, there are a bunch of books I liked this year. And there are so many more I didn’t even get a chance to read!

BIGFOOT: Then it’s settled. We’ll all just make a huge list of books—

MORZANT: Wait a minute!

NORMAN: You’re the one who insisted we sign the agreement, Morzant. Now we have to stick to it.

The cryptids would bring the following books published in 2011 with them to a deserted island:

Books BIGFOOT read and loved:

BAD ISLAND

by Doug Tennapel

[YOUNG ADULT—GRAPHIC NOVEL]

Graphix-Scholastic

DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK

by Tom Angleberger

[MIDDLE GRADE—SECOND IN THE ORIGAMI YODA SERIES]

Amulet-Abrams

THE END OF THE LINE

by Angela Cerrito

[YOUNG ADULT]

Holiday House

LEVEL UP

by Gene Luen Yang,

illustrated by Thien Pham

[YOUNG ADULT—GRAPHIC NOVEL]

First Second-Roaring Brook

Books BIGFOOT didn’t get a chance to read,

but plans to while relaxing under a coconut tree:

DEAD END IN NORVELT

by Jack Gantos

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

THE FINGERTIPS OF DUNCAN DORFMAN

by Meg Wolitzer

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Dutton-Penguin

MAGGIE & OLIVER OR A BONE OF ONE’S OWN

by Valerie Hobbs,

illustrated by Jennifer Thermes

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Henry Holt

NURSERY RHYME COMICS:

50 TIMELESS RHYMES FROM 50 CELEBRATED CARTOONISTS

edited by Chris Duffy

[COMIC FOR YOUNG READERS]

First Second-Roaring Brook

TRUE (…SORT OF)

by Katherine Hannigan

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Greenwillow-HarperCollins

THE UNFORGOTTEN COAT

by Frank Cottrell Boyce

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Candlewick

Books MORZANT read and loved:

(The experiment has already been tainted; therefore, I see no reason for me to comply with the original terms of my hypothetical question. Or, as the Earth saying goes: If you can’t beat them, join them.)

Review Policy

Unless otherwise noted, the books recommended on Bigfoot Reads are either checked out of a public library by one of the cryptids or purchased by Bigfoot.

The dream entries from Briar’s journal contain premonitions of books that will be published in the future. Briar’s dream self foresees the books’ summaries and knows which will likely appeal to each of her friends. Briar always wakes up before she can see whether her friends will enjoy the books.

Bigfoot Reads has a strict policy against recommending any book in which a dog dies.